Finding the Path Toward Your Perfect Day

Have you ever done the “perfect day” exercise? Jack Canfield writes about it in his book The Success Principles. It goes like this:

Imagine your perfect day in great detail. Then write it down. Where do you live? When do you wake up? What do you do when you wake up?

Then go through each hour of your day. What projects are you working on? Who are you with? What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? And when do you go to bed? What are you wearing?

This is well worth it to do, and here’s why.

I did this exercise in January, 2009–I typed my perfect day into a text file on my computer. And then I put the file away and mostly forgot about it.

Last week I found it again–when I was looking for another file, actually. I pulled it out and read it. And I felt overwhelmed. I felt like there was just too much “stuff” to do between here and that perfect day.

Moving Toward My Perfect Day

This week, everything changed, because I hired a new team member who will quickly ramp to being full-time here at erica.biz/Whoosh Traffic. And, instead of just blurting out ideas for what I wanted to do next, I started a shared to-do list.

I included Parnell (my co-founder at Whoosh Traffic) and my new team member, and then I started brain-dumping to-dos into the list. I hit 20 to-do items relatively quickly. And as I started to delegate them, I found myself suddenly quite emotional.

I had a break-through moment as I went through that list. I realized that what I’m building–between this site, the information products I plan to release this year, and Whoosh Traffic and its associated services–is amazing. That the 7-figure business I sold pales in comparison to what I am building now. And most importantly, that I can’t do it alone.

The Mistake That Can Kill Your Business

Too many times, as entrepreneurs, we get consumed with trying to do it all. We cram in one more email, one more blog post, one more sneak peek at Facebook or Twitter. We stay up late into the night tweaking one more ad, putting one more image on our website, or adding one more item to our to-do list. Sound familiar?

And pretty quickly, we go into overwhelm mode, where we’re busy putting out fires instead of believing in ourselves. We begin to crumble under the weight of our growing business, and we lose ourselves in escapism. We focus on only what has to be done today instead of looking forward to tomorrow, and we’re just relieved when our inbox finally gets to zero.

But is that what really matters most? Our inbox getting to zero? All those piddly things getting done?

No.

What matters most is to keep moving forward with our business. To block out the tidal wave of new emails, new Tweets, and “one more thing” and to remember, instead, to create every day. To bring something new into the world.

Fighting the Fires of Overwhelm

If you find yourself fighting fires and burned out at the end of the day (no pun intended), may I make a suggestion?

Picture the type of person who could help you grow your business the most. Not a specific person…just the tasks that person would do and how he or she could help you.

Then set an intention to bring that person into your life.

When he or she shows up, and you know it’s right, make the offer. Put it on the table. Give away part of your company if you have to. Work out a deal where you pay the person less right now, but his or her pay ramps up as their work flows into your business and you start generating more revenue. Don’t get caught up in how much money your business isn’t making. If the person is passionate about you and your business, find a number that doesn’t kill you to pay them (but pay them if at all possible.) Then make it work. Start them at 10 hours a week. Then ramp it up.

If you’re pretty sure this person could work out to be a business partner, offer the person part of your company (paid over time, of course.) That’s what I did with Parnell. After a 6-month trial, he’s now gradually gaining ownership of a good chunk of Whoosh Traffic. With Parnell, I knew he was the right person to help me grow my business–and I couldn’t have built the business without him.

Above all, do everything you can to make sure your employees–especially the ones most important to your success–are compensated well, not just with money, but with ownership, love, and appreciation. If you wake up in the morning thinking “I couldn’t run this business without ____”, make sure that person knows that.

Do This Today

Your action step for today? Tell your best employees you couldn’t do without them. Make a decision now to let those who aren’t the right fit go, and leave that space empty for the right person. And, if you’re in the situation where you’ve talked with someone you think would make an amazing fit in your business, but you feel like you don’t have the money, talk it out with them. Tell this person how amazing you think he or she is, and how he or she would fit in your business, and see if you can make it work.

I realized recently that I just couldn’t make my “perfect day” work all by myself. Besides, it’s much more rewarding to have a team of people who believe in your business as strongly as you do, and will do what it takes to make it succeed. Hiring team members can be scary, but trust me–it’s worth it.

I couldn’t build Yakezie.com with my right hand man, Chris. We’ve made a solid team so far, and I hope it will continue for the long term.

So much to do, but if we can just focus on the most important things, I think we will be alright!

Sam

http://www.onespoonatatime.com paul wolfe

Hey Erica

I love the phrase ‘bring something new into the world.’ If you do this EVERY day your business will surely ramp up, as you create new blog posts, new eBooks, new reports, new videos, new podcasts.

That’s a golden line.

Thanks.

Paul

http://www.primoney.biz primoney

I love your article from the very beginning. the way you wrote it is so sincere and honest.
from my experiences, we cannot build a great business all by ourselves. we always need a helping hand.

Peter

Erica

Great post as always. I am a serial entrepreneur and build a few businesses from the ground up and sold them in the past 18 years.

You are so right. You sometimes need to stand back and work on important things and delegate those urgent ones that are not important. That means HIRE PEOPLE and build your business. I’ve burnt my fingers a few times by giving away equity, rather give them a mechanism to buy it through performance.

I like the “perfect day” idea and will give it a try

Peter

http://www.WebCopyResults.com Trish

Great post,Erica.

I am a huge believer in the power of envisioning – and writing out – what your “Perfect Day” looks like. This process has had a huge impact on my life.

In fact, I published a post back in December 2009 about what happened in my life after I sat down in March 2007 and did exactly what you suggest.

(I tried to link my name to the page, but think it got deleted as spam. Here is the link to that page if anyone is interested:

My life has changed A LOT in those 3 years – and I now find myself ready to sit down and do it again. At this point, I’m trying to get my mind around not only what my “Perfect Day” now looks like – but also how my “Perfect Business” is structured.

Fortunately, I’m living the way I want to live – so now it is more about fine tuning the details. I’ve realized that I can no longer do it all myself and know I must find reliable partners in order to take my business to the next level.

Trish

http://www.selfworks.net Clare

Hi Erica

Just wanted to let you know how much your post has inspired me, especially the part about blocking out the tidal wave, and creating something new every day. Creativity is a big part of the magic of the internet, but it’s so easy to forget that under a welter of admin…Many thanks for reminding me.

Clare

http://PiperLarson.com Piper Larson

I love you idea of a “shared to do list.” Being surrounded by the right people makes all the difference in the world. Great post, Erica!
~Piper

http://www.youreverythingservices.com Deb Lamb

Awesome post, Erica!
Once I learned about outsourcing and finding that perfect fit with the right person, things began to change in my business, too. At first, the thought of paying someone else had me really wondering how in the world was I going to do it? However, I also thought, how was I NOT going to do it?

My perfect fit, Sarah, has been the answer to my prayers! She is my right-hand woman, and I know some day, she’ll have access to part of my business as well. Just like you said, I started her out at a lower rate and now 9 months later, I’ve increased her pay by $3.00 per hour. She has certainly proved herself, and I tell her all the time, that I have no idea what I would do without her. You really do need to give regular “kudos” to those that deserve it. And she certainly deserves it…and more.

Thanks for all your wisdom, guidance and instructions, you are the best at what you do and I learn so much from you! Keep up the good work! Thank you!

Deb

Ken Gebert

Thank you. After reading your post, I dropped everything and headed to the beach. I lit up an Ashton and walked. By the time I finished it, I had created a master plan to share my idea with a good friend who, I am certain, will help me grow my (our) business. I feel confident and not overwhelmed now. Keep up the good work.

Layla

Wow, Erica, you’re very inspiring!

I’m so happy you updated again!

I’ve had troubles with this too, thinking I needed to do everything myself, or not knowing what I can delegate and how, especially to people new to what I’ve been doing or want to do… So if you have any tips on how to do that it would be really inspiring too…

Derek Sivers has a good post about delegating too, about writing a how-to manual (and putting both ‘what to do’ and the philosophy behind it into a ‘company manual’) though I think he’s been burnt by someone he trusted then.. so there must be some fine lines in doing this… some people had their biz ‘taken over’ or ‘taken away’ and replicated elsewhere… maybe this has to do with amount of love (and money) too.. and what the biz is… if you have any tips on dancing this fine line, it will be greatly appreciated!

http://www.commonsensemarketing.net Sarah Russell

Wow – spot on with the timing, as usual

Lately, I feel like I’m getting to that overwhelmed place (which I’m not surprised about – shockingly enough, it’s hard to balance two internet businesses with a day job, a husband and a social life!). And while I’m definitely on the path to hiring a virtual assistant, I’m not sure I’m ready to do it most effectively yet.

So right now, I’m taking stock of the things I do each day, as well as the things I’d like to get done each day if I only had more time, and trying to keep tabs on whether it’s something I absolutely *have* to do, or if an assistant could do it just as effectively.

I just don’t want to get into a situation where I hire a virtual assistant and then don’t use his or her time (or my money) effectively.

http://myparnasa.com Naomi

I recently paid a biz coach $100 an hour to basically tell me just this… I really needed to hear it. Thanks Erica for reinforcing the lesson in your usual wise way.

http://www.knqmatchmaking.com Steven Austin

Definitely needed to hear a word from the mountain sage… Overwhelmed is a word I should have printed on a personalized T-shirt! I absolutely loved your post, and very much wish you would stop reading me (as the kidz say)! LOL

Thanks for your words: The best part for me was the “to-do” list about how to slowly integrate someone into a position like that. It really helped me put a few things in perspective. Thanks, again.

http://www.freestuffonline.co/ Deanna

I am thinking of hiring help for my site, FreeStuffOnline.co. The last thing I want to do is become overwhelmed, and with success comes more work! Thanks for the post.

http://www.SafeBabySystem.com Dr. Mark

Right on!
Entrepreneurs need help, but the right help.
FInding qualified, competent people can be a bit hit or miss.
thanks for the resources and tips!
Dr. Mark
Author, C-Section: how to avoid, prepare for and recover from your cesarean

http://electriccigarettereport.org Steve

I’ve been considering hiring someone to help. It’s a scary jump when you don’t have a list. Make your list and you’ll find your list is scarier than hiring someone!

http://conduitofjoy.com/ Kara

Thanks for the great reminder, to remember the REASON we are actually working…

I’m taking your advice on envisioning the ideal person to help me – right now – as my business is just at the point now where I need another person to help me grow it and manage it.

Thanks for your authenticity and sharing!

Kara

Amir

A couple of “Aha!” moments for me here. Thank you.

http://www.megabizflakes.com Samuel

Well said Erica, I love the way you shared your opinion! Things just have to change! An entrepreneur must be ready to delegate and work with smart team members in order to get things done and have fun! Hope you understand what I’m saying? Thanks so much for sharing. Rock on!

http://marthagiffen.com Martha Giffen

Erica, great points! It’s a good thing to delegate responsibilities so our businesses will grow. I’ve delegated from the get-go. And, I’ve written down my perfect day and read it on occasion. However, it never occurred to me to do the same for my future employees. To actually write down what they “look” like and how they fit into my biz plan. Thanks for that insight! As usual, learned something great over here on your blog

VAL

Hi Erica,

First, great to read about the success of Whoosh!

I smiled when you mentioned the part about your text file as I have a number of them called, ‘Thoughts’. The notes were written daily and all really convey the same idea and/or objective within a list of tasks that I needed to complete to reach “Perfect Day” status – yet to happen.

As well, I also felt a tremendous sense of overwhelm when reading, and thus I had just resolved to stop reading them.

Your post is a wonderful reminder that we do not need to do everything, and with that, I just may return to reading my ‘Thoughts’.

Wishing everyone continued success!

http://afford-anything.com Afford-Anything.com

I love your reminder that we should keep the big picture in mind and not get crushed by the weight of the details — the late-night Tweets, that “one last email.”

I always recommend that people keep their mission statement or vision statement tacked up on a wall in their office, near their computer, where they can see it in the periphery of their eye everyday.

That said, be cautious about giving away equity in your company to someone you want to hire. It’s one thing to co-found a company with partners; another thing to give away the shop to solve a temporary problem. I’m not outright against it; I’m just saying use caution and think carefully. Will you regret the equity give-away in 5 years or 10 years?

http://HouseofGoodKarma.com jj

Amazing post! Love it! Simplicity and focus is the best way for getting things done and not losing your mind w/ information overload. However, my perfect day is still going through the directors cut

http://www.mouithsone.com Mouithsone

Hi, great article you put on here, Writing down what could be a perfect day for you, is genius idea, I need to make that my new goal all the time.

Well done.

Cheers
Jeremie

http://www.isamoni.com/nestorkuilan Nestor Kuilan

Many thanks for this information. It is very practical and written in a way than help you to apply it.
Nestor

http://www.WhoIsBolaji.com Bolaji O

Hi Erica!

I gained lots of insight from your overwhelm at the distance between HERE and YOUR PERFECT DAY.

There’s a lot to be said for defining one’s perfect day. It can help us de-prioritize goals that we otherwise thought were important. (Usually these are financial goals that involve us compromising on what we want to do as part of our business.)

I’ve just had to turn down some pretty lucrative jobs, because they’ll involve lots of hours, earning linear (not leveraged) income.

More importantly, they’ll take my time and energy away from the leveraged income streams that I’m passionate about, and working hard towards.

The Perfect Day exercise sounds great, and I’ll look up Jack Canfield’s work on it.

I agree with you that “what matters most is to keep moving forward with our business… to create every day. To bring something new into the world.”

I have to make sure that I am creating something or doing something to move the business forward each day. Something big or small.

We just have to keep moving to right the direction.

Regards.
Ros

http://financialempowermentcoaching.com Robin Ehrich

I thought this was about helping people and that people got you to your 1.1 million dollar business. Well if that is your attitude toward people then I don’t really need to be part of this and I guess you are only out to make money.

There’s a lot to be said for defining one’s perfect day. It can help us de-prioritize goals that we otherwise thought were important. (Usually these are financial goals that involve us compromising on what we want to do as part of our business

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Tony Somervell

Hi, Erica,
I stumbled upon your YouTube video about your super expensive ‘get organized’ system (lol) Here I am two hours later, really enjoying your blog and inspiration.
Only thing is, I’m a one man band photographer, so keen to start an:-) online coaching membership site, but so stuck not getting it done!
Here’s to my revolution, to follow your notebook system and fight the procrastination syndrome!
Thanks
Tony